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Like the length of your hem or the width of your lapel, spirits come in and out of fashion.

There was a time, for instance, when only your grandpa drank whisky; now it’s the flavour of the moment among hipsters and sophisticates alike.

So what’s next, you may wonder? Well, the world’s cognac producers figure it’s their turn in the spirits spotlight. And we’ll drink to that.

Cognac has always been synonymous with quality, luxury and good taste. In recent years, though, with the exception of its popularity in hip-hop circles, it has also been synonymous with a sort of old-fashioned formality.

"What we’re trying to do is break down the barriers," explains Jennifer Szersnovicz, communications and trade relations manager for Courvoisier. She was in Vancouver recently with her husband, global brand ambassador Pierre Szersnovicz, to launch the first ever "age-declared" cognacs. The last time there was a revolution this big in the world of cognac, Courvoisier was sending barrels of the stuff to accompany Napoleon into exile. Cognac is a brandy produced in the Cognac region of western France, distilled from grapes such as the tart Ugni Blanc and aged for a minimum of two years in oak barrels.

Unlike single-malt whisky, which has traditionally been "age stated" — that is, the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle is stated on the label — cognac is categorized according to a slightly more complex quality rating system.

VS (Very Special) means the youngest brandy in the blend has been aged in oak at least two years. VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) means the youngest brandy is at least four years old and XO (Extra Old) at least six years old, though in both cases the average is usually much higher. There are also additional categories called Napoleon, Extra, Vieux, Vieille Reserve and Hors d’Age. Is it any wonder that customers were turning to the simplicity of a nice, straightforward 18-year-old single-malt scotch? This isn’t the first time cognac has been lapped by whisky.

Back in the mid-19th century, most cocktails were based on brandy, and brandy meant cognac. Then a disease called phylloxera devastated the vines in France, causing a decadeslong shortage of both table wine and brandy. As a result, bartenders replaced the cognac in their cocktails with rye or bourbon.

Now France’s cognac producers want to regain their place in the work of mixology. They are emphasizing cognac’s role not just in classics like the Sidecar, but in modern cocktails like the 21 Again that bar manager Colin Turner has created at CinCin Ristorante + Bar.

"We love getting back into the cocktails," Szersnovicz says, adding that the hottest trend she’s seeing in cognac cocktails is punches.

"You put a punch bowl in front of friends and it’s immediately a party."

Other cognac houses also are joining the party. Hennessy, for instance, has released a version called Hennessy Black, which has a delicate, floral taste designed specifically for mixing in cocktails.

(At $75.95, it’s also significantly more affordable than Hennessy’s other new entry on the market, the ultra-luxe $2,300 Paradis Imperial.)

But Courvoisier is still the first and only age-stated cognac on the mar-ket. Look at the bottles of Courvoisier

12 and Courvoisier 21, and you might think you’re looking at a bottle of whisky. And that’s the whole point.

After all, in a market that loves one brown spirit, is it so hard to imagine a switch to another? Certainly not when the spirits taste this fine.

The 12-year-old, which retails for around $90, has flavours of vanilla, almonds, hazelnuts, citrus and delicate spices such as ginger. The 21-year-old, which will retail for about $350 when it reaches B.C. later this fall, is lusciously smooth and complex, with flavours of dried fruit, warm Christmas spices and cocoa.

Both are delicious in mixed drinks, with a meal or on their own, especially after dinner.

After all, Pierre Szersnovicz says, "Cognac has always been a good digestif." But now it’s also so much more.

RECIPE

21 Again

Makes 1 serving.

This complex cocktail created by Colin Turner, bar manager at CinCin Ristorante + Bar, uses the high-end Courvoisier 21-year-old cognac. If you can’t get your hands on a bottle, you can use another cognac instead, though it won’t have the same luscious flavour.

1 1/2 ounces (44 mL) Courvoisier 21 cognac

1 ounce (30 mL) Amaro Averna

liqueur (available at specialty liquor stores)

1/4 ounce (7 mL) Aperol

1/4 ounce (7 mL) St. Germain elderflower liqueur

3 drops Angostura or other orange bitters (available online or at specialty food shops such as Gourmet Warehouse)

Lightly rinse a rocks (Old Fashioned) glass with Aperol. In a mixing glass add Averna, St. Germain, Courvoisier 21, bitters and ice, and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into the rocks glass over fresh ice cubes. Garnish with an orange peel, first pinched over top to release the oil. Enjoy.

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